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Myers Keys Phillies Win With His Bat

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By ROB MAADDI

The Associated Press

Published: October 11, 2008

Updated: 10/11/2008 12:23 am

PHILADELPHIA - Brett Myers stood on first base, shaking his head and shrugging his shoulders. He couldn't explain his hitting success, and no one ever expected it.

Myers did better at the plate than on the mound, going 3-for-3 with three RBIs, and Shane Victorino drove in four runs as the Phillies overcame another homer by Manny Ramirez to beat the Dodgers 8-5 Friday for a 2-0 lead in the NL Championship Series.

"I'm not a very good hitter," said Myers, who became the first pitcher to get three hits in an NLCS game. "I just get lucky occasionally. I'm baffled by it. I would've rather pitched better."

A grieving Charlie Manuel was in the dugout with the Phillies, hours after the manager's mother died. Players and coaches from both teams offered condolences before the game. Manuel didn't speak to reporters.

"I know Charlie told me he talked to his mom on a regular basis and her only concern was for him to go out and win ballgames," Dodgers manager Joe Torre said.

The Phillies rallied around their skipper.

"We were pretty shocked to hear it," closer Brad Lidge said. "We really wanted to win today for Charlie."

Victorino made a clutch catch with two on to end the seventh, and Lidge hung on in the ninth for his second save of the series. He walked Ramirez and James Loney, then struck out Matt Kemp and Nomar Garciaparra to end it.

The series shifts to Los Angeles for Game 3 on Sunday night, with 45-year-old Jamie Moyer pitching for Philadelphia against Hiroki Kuroda.

Myers wasn't sharp on the mound, allowing five runs and six hits in five innings. Good thing for the Phillies that he's suddenly become a pesky batter after hitting .069 with one RBI in the regular season.

In Game 2 against Milwaukee in the first round of the playoffs, Myers drew a two-out walk from CC Sabathia and Victorino hit a grand slam two batters later in a 5-2 win.

"He had four hits all year and three today. That's tough to count on and defend against," Torre said.

Myers was surprised, too. At one point, he stood in the dugout, covered his eyes with one hand and feigned a swing with the other, showing a teammate how he did it.

The Phillies, appearing in their first NLCS in 15 years, are two wins from the World Series. They've won just one championship (1980) in the franchise's 126 years.

"We're not comfortable until we're finished with this whole thing," Myers said.

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